A fine all rounder in the world of cricket, he is probably better remembered for his non selection in a touring side to South Africa in 1968 that started a boycott of that country by sporting teams. Certainly high profile teams.
D’Olivera was mixed race and the South African Govt of the time let it be known that he would not be welcomed. On form he should have been selected. He wasn’t. He was later added to the English side to cover an injury.
The tour was called off.
So Dolly passed away aged 80. Full story here.
I must admit that I had no idea that he’d played 44 Tests after debuting at 34 years of age. I’d previously seen him as someone like Henry Olonga, someone who was there for a critical moment in the history of the sport.
Finding out that he was actually a very good cricketer as well is the nicest surprise I’ve had as a cricket fan since I spent half of a bookshop gift-certificate on a book called “Garfield Sobers’ Most Memorable Matches” back in 1985, a few months after I’d become a genuine cricket fan.
Suffice it to say that, never formerly having never heard of Garfield Sobers or his 365*, that book was a bit of an eye-opener for my 13yo self. FWIW, I spent the other half of the gift-certificate on the novelization of the Ghostbusters movie, which IIRC was a piece of utter shite that was written in present-tense.